Okay-pop group BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Leisure
As BTS prepares for its full-group comeback in March and Netflix animation hit “KPop Demon Hunters” continues to attract international consideration, hallyu, or the Korean wave, is exhibiting no indicators of slowing down.
Trying again on the final decade, 2016 was a landmark 12 months that set the stage for at present’s international hallyu wave — Okay-pop lady group BLACKPINK, debuted in 2016 and that very same 12 months, the Korean drama “Descendants of the Solar” made a splash as stars Track Joong-ki and Track Hye-kyo gained international fame.
Hit dramas, breakthrough idols and blockbuster movies didn’t solely entertain — they formed fandoms, created traits and exported Korean tradition internationally.
This is a rundown of 10 iconic moments, songs, movies and dramas from 2016 that set the inspiration for hallyu’s worldwide development.
“Reply 1988” / Courtesy of tvN
January: “Reply 1988”
Airing from late 2015 to January 2016, “Reply 1988” captured the hearts of viewers with its nostalgic portrayal of Korea within the Eighties, household bonds and old flame. The ultimate episode recorded a peak score of 21.7 %, the best ever for a cable TV drama on the time.
“Descendants of the Solar” / Courtesy of KBS2
February: “Descendants of the Solar”
The most important Okay-drama of 2016, “Descendants of the Solar” sparked a nationwide craze, changing into the primary present since “The Moon Embracing the Solar” (2012) to surpass 30 % in rankings. The sequence, starring A-list stars Track Joong-ki, in his post-military enlistment comeback, and display darling Track Hye-kyo, was exported to 32 international locations.
Go legend Lee Sedol makes his transfer after deep contemplation throughout the fourth recreation in opposition to the substitute intelligence program AlphaGo on the 4 Seasons Resort in central Seoul, March 12, 2016. Courtesy of Google Korea
March: Lee Sedol vs AlphaGo
Earlier than the period of ChatGPT, there was AlphaGo. The board recreation Go — acquainted by dramas like “The Glory” (2022) and “Reply 1988” (2016) — captured international consideration in 2016 throughout the DeepMind Problem Match between Go legend Lee Sedol and synthetic intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo.
AlphaGo gained the five-game match 4 to 1, showcasing the rising energy of AI. Watched by greater than 200 million folks worldwide, the competitors went down in historical past after Lee claimed victory within the fourth recreation with the so-called “divine transfer,” an intuitive determination stated to have a likelihood of simply 0.007 %. After the match, public curiosity in AI surged.
Okay-pop group TWICE / Courtesy of JYP Leisure
April: TWICE’s “Cheer Up”
It is the one track that was all over the place in 2016. TWICE’s “Cheer Up” grew to become a nationwide phenomenon, making “sha sha sha” a viral catchphrase. The music video surpassed 100 million YouTube views in report time, whereas the track reached over 100 million streams. It grew to become a must-cover efficiency in school festivals and levels throughout Korea. As anticipated, “Cheer Up” gained Track of the Yr on the Melon Music Awards that 12 months, cementing TWICE as one among Okay-pop’s most consultant lady teams.
Okay-pop group I.O.I / Courtesy of Vogue Korea
Might: I.O.I debut after “Produce 101”
“Produce 101” marked the start of large-scale idol survival packages, during which viewers voted for his or her favourite Okay-pop trainees to debut. The winners of the present then grew to become the lady group I.O.I, whose signature track “Choose Me” grew to become a nationwide hit. The track was even used throughout the election season, changing into the go-to marketing campaign anthem of aspiring politicians asking the nation to select them.
“Present Me the Cash 5” / Courtesy of Mnet
June: “Present Me the Cash 5”
Airing from Might, “Present Me the Cash 5” obtained widespread reward for its leisure worth and stellar performances. Songs from the present topped native music charts. Rapper BewhY gained the season with songs like “Day Day” and “Without end,” fueling the hip-hop growth of summer season 2016.
“Practice to Busan” / Courtesy of NEW
July: “Practice to Busan”
“Practice to Busan,” a zombie blockbuster, grew to become the primary Korean movie of 2016 to surpass 10 million moviegoers. Premiering on the Cannes Movie Pageant’s Midnight Screenings to rave opinions, the movie was later bought to 156 international locations worldwide. The star-studded solid included Gong Yoo, who later gained international recognition by his function as The Salesman within the hit Netflix present “Squid Recreation, Ma Dong-seok, who went on to seem in Marvel’s “Eternals” (2021), and Choi Woo-shik, who later starred within the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” (2019).
Okay-pop group BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Leisure
August: BLACKPINK’s debut
Lady group BLACKPINK arrived within the Okay-pop scene with a bang. Debuting with “BOOMBAYAH” and “WHISTLE,” the lady group topped all main music charts from its begin. The group gained first place on a serious broadcast music present simply two weeks after debut — the quickest for a woman group on the time. The members, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — now a three-time Grammy nominee — have now grown into Okay-pop’s most influential international names.
Okay-pop group BTS / Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
October: BTS releases “WINGS,” wins main awards
BTS is arguably the most important band on this planet, with its much-awaited comeback this 12 months making headlines. In 2016, the band skilled explosive fan base development with the consecutive releases of full-length albums “The Most Stunning Second in Life: Younger Without end” in Might and “WINGS” in October. BTS cemented its musical identification, changing into recognized for its conceptual cinematic storytelling, laying the inspiration for its unprecedented worldwide success. Songs like “Hearth” and “Blood Sweat & Tears” dominated the charts, main the group to win main awards in Korea, together with Album of the Yr and Artist of the Yr — a milestone for each Okay-pop group.
“Guardian: The Lonely and Nice God” / Courtesy of CJ ENM
December: “Guardian: The Lonely and Nice God”
Written by Kim Eun-sook, who additionally penned “Descendants of the Solar,” the sequence “Guardian: The Lonely and Nice God” mixed fantasy romance with witty, emotional dialogue and standout performances from A-list actors Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun. The drama grew to become a world hit, turning filming places corresponding to Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in Korea and Quebec in Canada into main vacationer sights.
